Linares: The Anibal Hall of Fame

3/5/2009 – For many years the Linares Super-GM was played in the ballroom of the Anibal Hotel (the tournament was created by the owner). Now it is in a theater, but the players still stay in the Anibal. The lobby and restaurant of the hotel are adorned with portraits from previous events, starting from 1991 – a moving experience to see the great players fifteen and more years ago. Let's talk a walk in time.

Find the right combination! ChessBase 15 program + new Mega Database 2019 with 7.6 million games and more than 70,000 master analyses. Plus ChessBase Magazine (DVD + magazine) and CB Premium membership for 1 year!

XXVI Linares 2009

This year the Linares 2009 tournament is being staged only in Spain –
in the previous three years the first half was in Morelia, Mexico, and next
year the first half will probably be in the Arab Emirates. The 2009 event goes
from February 19th to March 7th, with three rest days. The prize fund is 314,000
Euros, with the winner getting 100,000 Euros, followed by 75,000 and 50,000
Euros for second and third place. There are no appearance fees for the players,
so the motivation to fight for points may be unusually high. The venue is el
Teatro Cervantes de Linares, the starting time of the games is 16:00h (4 p.m.)
Spanish/European time.

Pictorial impressions from Linares

By Frederic Friedel

The Hotel Anibal, where it all started and where, until today, the players
traditionally stay. For some unknown reason we are always reminded of liver
with fava beans and Chianti when we arrive at this hotel.

The lobby of the hotel – with the owner and originator of the event Luis
Rentero in the picture

All over the hotel lobby you have pictures of previous Linares tournaments

It is not easy to photograph these portraits, some of which have faded with
age. Most are hung fairly high up, some in dark areas, and all of behind glazed
frames, which reflect the hotel lights. But we found a method and bring you
a small selection of interesting historical pictures.

Garry Kasparov at Linares 1991

Guess who won the event in 1991: this young man, Vassily Ivanchuk

Vishy Anand in 1991, eighteen years ago, had just turned 21

Anatoly Karpov, who finished eighth in 1991

Ljubomir Ljubojevic, who still visits the tournament today

Boris Gelfand, 22 years old, rated 2650

In 1991 Gata Kamsky was sixteen and rated 2640

In 1992 Garry Kasparov won the tournament with a plus seven score

Jan Timman, who won seven games and lost four to finish third

The long-haired Vladimir Kramnik, aged 18, came fifth

Gata Kamsky in 1993, finished in tenth place

Ljubomir Ljubojevic fifteen years ago

Karpov with his record performance in Linares in 1994

In that year Anatoly Karpov scored an incredible plus nine – he won nine
games and lost none – to finish two and a half points ahead of the next
players on the final table, Garry Kasparov and Alexei Shirov.

Garry Kasparov, who scored plus four and finished equal second

Our friend Vishy in 1994 at the age of 24

Still sporting the hair: Vladimir Kramnik in 1994, aged 19

Still the glasses: Gata Kamsky in 1994

Her first appearance in Linares in 1994: Judit Polgar

In 1995 Vassily Ivanchuk won the tournament, a full point ahead of...

Anatoly Karpov, who was second (Kasparov did not play)

Alexei Shirov, aged 22, finished equal third

Nigel Short in 1995, veteran and former WCh challenger at 29

Our favourite picture: IM (!) Peter Svidler, who won the Open in 1994
(aged 17)

See also

1/27/2019 – The 81st Tata Steel Chess Tournament takes place from January 12th to 27th in Wijk aan Zee, the Netherlands (and two "on tour" locations). The "Masters" has an average Elo of 2753. The "Challengers" weighs in at 2582. Both are 14-player round-robin tournaments. Round-up show live at 20:00 UTC (21:00 CET, 3:00 PM EST) Live commentary by IMs Sopiko Guramishvili and GM Robert Hess from 12:30 UTC (13:30 CET, 7:30 am EST) | Photo: <a href="http://TataSteelChess.com">TataSteelChess.com</a>

See also

11/28/2018 – The moment we've all been waiting for! Live games (for Premium members) from the 2018 World Championship match in London. Every two games will be followed by a rest day until Game 12 (if necessary) on November 26th which will be preceded by an additional rest day. All rounds start at 15:00 UT (London time) / 16:00 CEST / 10:00 EST. If needed there would be a rapid tiebreak match on Wednesday, November 28th. | Photos: Patricia Claros

Video

The Elephant Gambit (1.e4.e5 2.Nf3 d5!?) has never really been given the attention it deserves. It is a very useful surprise weapon. Let us list the advantages of playing this particular opening: 1) Shock value 2) It is very aggressive. Black can take over the initiative early. 3) Many tricky lines 4) Unorthodox. Black is basically taking the game to the opponent as early as move two. Not many openings do that! It's a perfect opening for young players and club players to adopt. Let Andrew Martin select a repertoire for you on this 60 mins, which, if used with discretion, will rack up the points. I am sure that you will enjoy this unusual tour of the Elephant Gambit.

"Simple yet aggressive!" Enjoy this new exciting DVD by Simon Williams. Let the famouns Grandmaster from England show you how to gain a very exciting yet well founded opening game with the London System (1.d4 d5 2.Bf4).